1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a holder for personal items, and more particularly, to an eyeglass holder that can be incorporated into an article of clothing, preferably at the time the article of clothing is manufactured.
2. Description of Related Art
Eyeglass holders have generally comprised a case or pouch for storing unworn eyeglasses, which the user normally carries in a pocket, purse or pouch. Some types of eyeglass holders have been in the form of a cord or decorative necklace with loops at the opposite ends of the cord for receiving a temple piece of the eyeglasses, which may be worn around the user's neck.
Other versions of eyeglass holders that are purchased separately and are temporarily attached by the user to an article of clothing are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,551,126; 5,491,878; 5,956,812; 5,033,612; 4,894,887; 5,351,098; 5,860,191; and 5,893,198. Eyeglass holders of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,126 require that the user attach a hanger to an article of clothing using a button that is sewn onto the front of a garment. Eyeglass holders of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,878 and 5,956,812 use a clip or a clamp for fastening a receiver and a holder to the desired article of clothing. Eyeglass holders of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,612 utilize a removable non-clip pin, which requires the user to perforate the garment at each wearing. Eyeglass holders of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,894,887, 5,351,098 and 5,860,191 use a non-spring tension-dependent folding type clip or a combination of a clothespin type holder and a spring clip. An eyeglass holder of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,198 uses a pivotal swivel holder that embodies an ornamental necklace, which is worn around the user's neck.
The prior art eyeglass holders may require the user to purchase a discrete holder or multiple discrete holders, which may alter the design of an article of clothing, damage the fabric and damage the temple piece of the eyeglass. Moreover, these designs may require the user to not only purchase the holder(s) separately from the article of clothing, but also to attach the holder to the garment, often at each wearing. Additionally, certain designs may limit to a certain thickness the garment to which the holder may be attached. Accordingly, there exists a need for a simple, ready-made and design-incorporated type of eyeglass or other personal item holder that can be securely affixed to an article of clothing, preferably at the time of its manufacture, to resist the unintentional separation of the holder from the article of clothing.